Hillary: 'Global competition' hurting rural America

Written By: jensonj
Date: 2006-08-07 15:13:05
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Noting that U.S. agricultural imports are rising faster than exports, she said, "If we can't compete, shame on us. But we shouldn't let people give away our markets."

Clinton also pledged her continued support for country-of-origin labeling for U.S. fruit and other agricultural products. If consumers "want to buy Chinese apples - fine," she said, but they should know from which country they are coming.

Farmers applauded these statements more than any other points she made in her half-hour speech. Afterward, farmers gathered around Clinton to tell her how angry they are that they have to compete with Canadian fruits, vegetables and flowers while they cannot get their products into Canada. Clinton promised to assemble a report of their experiences and present it to federal officials.

Rural issues

In a speech her staff billed as a major policy statement on a national issue and also said was titled "Restoring the Promise of Main Street," Clinton said that of all the problems facing rural America, "global competition is at the top of the list." She also pledged to work hard to bring alternative fuels plants, high-speed Internet service and an improved immigration policy to rural New York.

The 2002 farm bill established country-of-origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables and other products, but the Agriculture Department was slow to implement the provision and Congress has passed appropriations bills that prevent its implementation for several years.

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[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on August 8, 2006]

I can't take issue with a country wanting to look after their food producers but I do not believe expansion, expansion is the best way to do it environmentally, not for any country.

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"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." Friedrich Nietzsche

"Afterward, farmers gathered around Clinton to tell her how angry they are that they have to compete with Canadian fruits, vegetables and flowers while they cannot get their products into Canada. "

Simply replace the word Canada with the words United States and the person they are gathered around and its still true!

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When you are up to your ass in alligators it is difficult to remember that the initial objective was to drain the swamp

>>Hillary: 'Global competition' hurting rural America<<

Well, Canada can not argue with that since 80% to 100% of what we buy as Canadians is not made, assembled or produced in Canada that everything is either made from materials made in the US, assembled in the US or manufactured in the US. Do you believe that this type of situation would be tolerated in the United States if it was a possability of happening there?

The cause for this situation is the un-ballanced / un-level trading field.

>>"They come with every excuse in the world to keep our products out of Canada," Hillary Clinton said.<<

There is no way with a population of 33 million can Canada or Canadian Business compete in or defend its self against the U.S. 298 million population market or the amounts of money it is able to throw at American market interests.

Canadian Businesses have to receive equal access to American markets as well as State and Federal industry assistance programs as they American Businesses are given here in Canada but at the same time the dominant industry of either Nation should not be able to destroy the other nations industry due to a un-level playing field. What George Bush Jr. calls a level playing field.

The constant challenging of trade laws and agreements, unlawful use or threatened use of protective custom tariffs, duties and quotas thus wrecking or intending to wreck targeted industries from beening competitive, force or violence by a free trade nation against another free trade nation with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons instead of as a means to defend against trade infractions. In my opinion is nothing more then Free Trade Terrorism and if carried out against Canada a strong example of Anti Canadianism in the United States of America.

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Perception is two thirds of what we perceive reality to be.

Difficult decisions are a privilege of rank.

Don't see anything about Hillary wanting to dismantle NAFTA (a cancerous ideology her hubby has championed).

Like the other poster said, we're only 33 million and we are importing enough USA produce that isn't grown up here. Canadian produce is selling because we have better soil than the Americans, who have fucked up their entire environment.

The Clintons are close friends of the Bushys, which is all that needs to be said. Well meaning politicans should stay out of the food industry, unless they want to go out at 5:00 a.m. and work over the farms.

It looks like Bill needs to give Hillary a few lessons on food policy.

jensonj, <blockquote>since 80% to 100% of what we buy as Canadians is not made, assembled or produced in Canada, that everything is either made from materials made in the US, assembled in the US or manufactured in the US. Do you believe that this type of situation would be tolerated in the United States if it were a possibility of happening there?</blockquote> it happens here (and is tolerated) already; in the first sentence above, just substitute Canada and Canadians with the US and Americans respectively, and the US with China.--- Shatter your ideals upon the rock of Truth. 
 
— The Divine Symphony, by Inayat Khan

perhaps all we need to do with softwood lumber is mark it as 'fruit'.

good idea, but then the US fruit lobby would scream bloody murder

besides, cedar a la mode and hemlock and cream just don't sound like they'd taste all that great

however they would be an excellent source of fibre ;-)

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

One of Hillary Clinton's biggest problems is that her positions are usually based on what appears to be an anti-Canadianism rather than facts (remember that she blamed Canada for 9/11!!!!).

I just returned from a trip across Canada and discovered that I could not buy in season Canadian produce in any grocery chain I visited in this country. In order to get in season Canadian produceI had to visit roadside stands, farmer's markets, or u-picks. All of the in-eason produce (cherries, strawberries, apricots, raspberries, etc.) in the chains came from the US, primarily California!!!!

Innes

I concur completely with your comment concerning local produce. In Winnipeg our grocery stores are loaded with California fruits and vegetables. Safeway, for example, rarely if ever stocks anything from local farmers. Farmers markets are one of the only ways to buy fresh local produce.

On another point, ethanol production is a joke and quite simply a public relations exercise. It has been amply demonstrated that ethanol production is a net energy loser. So many hydro-carbons go into its’ production that calling it renewable energy is ignorance or fraud. We have a few politicians in Manitoba trying to score political points on this one. Don’t be fooled.

Mike
Winnipeg

I thought at one point H Clinton was up to date. She had Rumsfield squirming on the Iraq affair. I realize now that she has no more scruples then any other politcan. "Say what they want to hear and use it to get the votes". Hillary fails to mention the abundance of fruit from Florida and California shipped to Canada,daily. I had hopes this lady would help the USA get back on track. Her statement disappoints me and I was a fan.

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Expect little from life and get more from it.

deacon, that's the whole idea....get the states so mad about softwood that they
don't want it, then extend our trade to china and other nations.
cedar a la mode isn't TOO bad with a dash of cinnamon, but i recommend cedar
plank salmon as THE best way to cook the fish on the barbeque....old west coast
native trick that makes ya drool

mike, the ethanoly bit about net energy is a very incomplete and biased study
and goes along with the net energy production b.s. on hybrid cars.

That why I would prefer the new version of Al Gore.

Least he appears to have scruples.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

The long and short of it is that all forms of competition demand increased energy/resource inputs, therefore alwys raise costs and prices.

The more we compete the more everything will cost and the more people and the environment will suffer.

There's no escape from this simple physical fact and reality.

The way costs and prices have been going up in the past 30 years, and global poverty has increased, since the forced introduction of neoclassical economics now spread all over the world under the guise of "wealth creating global market economy", is ample proof that the world's economy is being controlled by fools and crooks.

Ed Deak.

"The long and short of it is that all forms of competition demand increased energy/resource inputs, therefore alwys raise costs and prices."

Things are far more complicated than this. In agriculture there are many players and competition is strong. Middle players generally control the movement of the produce from the farmer to the consumer. This makes it difficult for farmers to make a profit because they have no control over the costs of inputs or the cost at which they sell.

In petroleum production there are relatively few producers and less competition so producers can directly influence supply and price. Since these are inputs into virtually every aspect of the economy they can drive prices up.

At the moment I suspect that the rapid escalation in the price of gas and oil is pushing the world economy into a recession. Hold on to your hats: we may be in for a rough ride.